How to handle user session along with jquery and php

I have a website that requires the user to choose 1 of 2 locations and then redirects to the website content running the appropriate jquery functions associated with each location choice. How can I handle a "session" with PHP once the user makes the location selection how can I carry that choice into the other pages of the website. I already have a cookie being set and read with javascript but I would like the site to function properly even with out cookies.

Im not very experienced with PHP or sessions at all but to me it seems as though I need php to create and store a session variable once the location is selected but I am unsure of how to check the session info with jquery/javascript. Or even the proper way to create and end the session with PHP in this case. Thanks for the help!!